Venetian blind



VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 22, 1938 Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATES VENE'I'IAN BLIND Charles M. Brenner, Shreveport, 1a., Edith Levy Brenner, administratrlx of Charles M. Brenner,

deceased Application December 22, 1938, Serial No. 247,287

3 Claims.

with which the slats can be cleaned. These become dusty, and the ordinary expedient is to use an especially shaped brush to be run along the spaces between slats for the removal of the dust. The dislodged dust merely settles elsewhere, and in all probabilities much of it returns to the slats from which it was removed. If it were possible to take the slats out of position in the blind they could be thoroughly cleaned with a damp cloth and restored, the time consumption being but little greater than by the dusting method and far more satisfactory. Therefore, the objects of the invention are,

First, to provide a Venetian blind which has the advantage of removably mounting the slats so that they can be separated from the supporting ladder tapes for cleaning, thereby making the instant blind more acceptable than current types to practically all users.

Second, to provide a Venetial blind, wherein the edges of the slats are slotted in opposite directions thus to permit their ready removal from the raising and lowering ropes and from the supporting ladder tapes for cleaning purposes.

Third, to supplement the Venetian blind slat of the foregoing character with removable clips as temporary closures for the slots, said clips reinforcing the slat, preventing inadvertant jumping of the ropes and preventing the cross tapes from getting into the slots.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the foregoing specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a Venetian blind, illustrating the improved slats.

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of a clip showing the slots cutin from the same edge.

In carrying out the invention provision is made of a Venetian blind, generally designated I which comprises a plurality of slats 2. which are supported by two or more ladder tapes generally designated 3. These ladder tapes may comprise any known structure. They consist of parallel bands 4, spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the width of the slats, said distance being bridged by narrow tapes 5. The ends oi. these tapes are secured to the bands 4, and they provide supports for the slats 2 in the customary manner.

Raising and lowering ropes 6 extend vertically in the spaces between the bands 4, these being so connected in the Venetian blind that when a pull is applied to the working ends of said ropes (not shown), or said ropes are paid out, the blind is then either raised or lowered...

All of the foregoing structure is common. The invention lies in the slats themselves, and inasmuch as all of the slats are alike the description of one will sufllce. The slat 2 (Fig. 2) is slotted at I to make room for the ropes 6. Instead of these slots appearing as elongated transverse openings as is customary in commonly known blind slats, they are cut in from the edges so that their entrances 8, 9 are situated on opposite sides of the slat. The advantage of carrying the slots out to the edges of the slat is the ability toremove-the slat from the ropes 6 without disassembling the blind. If the slots were in the form of elongated openings which, naturally, would be closed at their ends, it would be impossible to remove the slats and, consequently, the customary dusting would have to be resorted to for cleaning purposes.

By providing the slots 1, as shown in Figure 2, it becomes possible to slip the ropes 8 out at the entrances 8, 9, and by tilting the slat a little the latter is readily withdrawn. The cleaning is then done with a damp cloth and the slat is replaced in the reverse manner.

While it is possible to manufacture and use a slat precisely as indicated in Figure 2, because material of suflicient strength can be utilized to guard against breaking of the connecting webs l0, yet in many instances it is preferred to use a closure clip H as illustrated in Figure 6. In

the majority of instances the slat 2 (Fig. 2) comprises thin wood. The web Ill would naturally be weakened because of the extend to which the slots I are cut in. By slipping a clip ll over each end of the entrances 8, 9 the slat 2 is made rigid,

and there is little possibility of a breakage ever occuring at the webs ID.

A further advantage of the clip II is that it closes the respective slot against the possibility of any inadvertant jumping of the ropes by the slat. The clip II, as is readily seen in Figure 6 comprises pairs of prongs l2 which have a common mounting on a plate l3 of which they are a part. It is this plate which fits over the respective entrance to the slot and provides the closure. The slip I l is desirably made of spring metal, and in order to augment the gripping efliciency of the prongs l2 they are bowed at I so as to press more tightly upon the sides of the slat.

The latter adaptation is well illustrated in Figure 5. Here it will also be seen that the slot 1 is completely closed. Said slot, however, is ofiset in transverse relationship, the web It! being of substantial width as compared to the thickness of the plate l3. This circumstance is merely mentioned in passing because of the structural distinction that it afiords. The clip illustrated herein is typical of what is required, but the right is'reserved to change the design of the clip in order to make it more efiicient, neater and more compact.

A desirable effect is also secured from a slat such as depicted by Figure 7. Here the slat is designated 2. It has slots IE, but in this instance the slots are cut in from one edge of the slat. This type of slat also enables the removal and replacement from the position in the Venetian blind, but the type illustrated in Figure 2 is desirable because of the diagonal positioning of the webs l0.

Attention is directed to Figures 3 and 4, respectively, illustrating the open and closed positions of the blind. It will be observed in Figure 4 that an almost perfect closure of the slats can be obtained without crimping or deflecting the rope 6. The only spacing that is left between slats is represented by the thickness of the rope and this, as already suggested, constitutes a nearly perfect closure.

The principal reason for the perfected closure of the blind is directly attributable to the cord slots. These are considerably longer than cord slots now in use. A Venetian blind with a short cord slot is prevented from having a complete closure because of the cords being bent by the slats when said slats are tilted. By lengthening the slots as herein disclosed the cords ofler much less obstruction.

In further reference to the clip I I, especially to its function of closing the open end of the slot I, it is desired to point out that said clip is or considerable importance in the replacement of a broken slat. In the event or such a breakage the owner of the blind has only to remove the clips and take the broken slat out. He can readily do this because of the fact that the slots I run all the way out to the longitudinal edges of the slat.

The broken slat can be taken to the factory for duplication and the new slat is replaced in the blind on the reverse order of its removal. This simplification of the procedure in the event of a broken slat avoids the trouble and expense incident to the removal of a broken slat of the known type, wherein the pull cords go through closed slots in the central portions of the slats.

I claim: I

1. A Venetian blind comprising a rope and ladder tape assemblage, a plurality of slats supported by the ladder tapes, each slat having a slot cut in from at least one of its longitudinab edges, and a clip to temporarily close the entrance of the respective slot, consisting of a plate superimposed solely upon said edge .and' closing only the entrance to the slot and making the full length of the slot available for a rope, said plate having spring prongs extending from the lateral extremities of its top and bottom margins to grip the sides of the slat at places outside the lateral boundary of the slot.-

2. A Venetian blind slat clip comprising a simple and substantially rectangular plate, and pairs of prongs extending from the top and bottom margins at the lateral extremities thereof and at one side of said plate.

3. A Venetian blind slat clip comprising a plate;

CHARLES M. BRENNER. 

